Living, learning and loving in Lyon !

May I have a day off ? Or four ?

Yes, yes I can. This year, May has four public holidays.

May 1 – Fête du Travaille

May 8 – Victoire 1945

May 9 – Ascension

May 20 – Lundi de Pentecôte

I especially like how Ascension has fallen on the 9th this year. Not only do we have two holidays in a row, the 10th is a Friday and, as is common practice in France when there’s a holiday on a Thursday, most businesses are closed (including my school) to make an extra-long weekend. This year, it’s a 5-day one. The same can be said for when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday – most businesses are closed on the Monday. The French call this faire le pont, or make the bridge and I think it’s one of their better ideas.

As for this week, just to top it all off, it’s the first week back after the school holidays. A 2-day working week – good timing !